Parazoanthus gracilis

Common Names: Yellow polyps/colonial yellow polyps

Phylum: Cnidaria

Class: Anthozoa

Order: Zoanthiniaria

Family: Parazoanthidae

Range: Tropical Western Pacific Ocean

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow reef environments and usually found encrusting rock and other matter such as sponges, gorgonians, and hydroids in areas receiving moderate light and moderate water movement.

Water Requirements: Alkalinity 3.5 meq/l (I’ve personally found it to do better at 4.0 meq/l), pH 8.1 to 8.2, specific gravity 1.022 to 1.026, and a temperature range of 74° to 83°F (23° to 28°C).

Captive Care

This is a beautiful and somewhat hardy animal if fed various meaty foodstuffs, e.g., cyclops, enriched brine shrimp (live or defrosted), or mysis. Will even accept some flake foods! It should be placed in moderately lit areas having moderate water flow. Caution is required if placed near other corals and the specimen is fed, as it can rapidly spread onto nearby corals and harm them. Tends to dissipate if hair algae begins to grow on the same piece of substrate that it’s colonizing.

This is a commonly collected species and almost always available in the trade.